The Canadian Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve 

Fun fact: Here in Québec, table syrup is referred to as "Sirop de poteau", which litterally translates to "Utility pole syrup" !!

I live in Chaudiere-Appalaches, the heart of maple syrup production within Québec and Maple syrup is very common here. We all know some local producer who sells syrup and derived products (that is allowed by the Federation, its only bulk sales that are controlled by the Federation). One little thing : you mentioned that the syrup get darker as the weather gets colder, but it is the opposite. Maple syrup is made in the spring so the weather gets warmer during the season. My dad was approached for a business deal by one of the guy who was heavily implicated in the maple syrup heist. He didn't feel the guy and he refused to work with him. We learned later that he had done jail time because of the syrup heist. Good instinct from my dad!

I used to think maple syrup was Aunt Gemima and Log Cabin. Then the Canadian ambassador came to our school and let us have shots of real Grade A maple syrup and I was shocked at how much better it was. I can never go back to the fake stuff now.

The great Canadian syrup heist episode of The Casual Criminalist is still one of my favourites and one of the most Canadian stories I've ever had the pleasure of hearing

As a Canadian from rural Ontario my dad and I make our own maple syrup each spring. I use it to sweeten my coffee every day.

Keep in mind that maple syrup isn't just for pancakes. It's an important ingredient and flavorant for many products internationally. Maple syrup is a very important resource and Canada is the number one producer of maple syrup in the world.

As an American, I have to stand with my Canadian brothers on the subject of maple syrup. The "maple-flavored" stuff is horrible, I've used only genuine maple syrup since the 1970's. I just had some this morning over sourdough waffles, yum! It's expensive and worth it.

The butter tarts is as quintessentially Canadian as Maple Syrup and making Butter Tarts with Maple Syrup (replacing brown sugar) elevates this National desert to Hockey like levels of Canadian.

Man being a security guard for a Maple Syrup warehouse sounds like a sweet gig!

As an Aussie, I can assure you that we know the difference between "Golden Syrup", "Maple flavoured syrup" and "Maple Syrup" ... my family only buys genuine maple syrup from Canada. We consume a 250ml bottle every fortnight at a cost of around $9 (or $36 per litre). $0.02

1:51 cornering the maple market 3:55 the maple bunker 6:01 the syrup must flow 9:03 great maple syrup heist

And although the Bank of Canada has always vehemently denied it, quite a good portion of the annual Canadian maple syrup production also goes into the printing process for the Canadian $100 dollar bank notes and their distinct maple syrup aroma!

9:02 I'm sure the thieves were very polite and apologetic and the warehouse was very understanding. 😆

maple Butter is one of the greatest thing in the world. For those who have not had the pleasure it is basically maple syrup whip to a butter like texture, and it is great on anything.

Around the holidays only, they make these Maple shaped, maple sugar, well maple leaves. They've been a once a year treat since I was a kid and they might be the best thing on this earth.

As a Québecer, I should point out that most Qébecers do not buy their maple syrup at the grocery. The majority either know or they know someone who knows a small scale private producer.

Correction: the syrup gets darker later in the season as the weather gets warmer. The color is actually from different healthy bacteria and microbes that form and multiply as the weather gets warmer, and it is left in the syrup giving it its amber color and maple flavor. If you filtered maple syrup like you do with corn syrup, the color and unique flavor would disappear. Cornell did a study on it a number of years ago

As someone named Avery, Tabasco sauce's origin is a place of pride to a decree. Tabasco, while named after a Mexican state because it uses Tabasco peppers from said state, is not made in Mexico but rather at a place called Avery Island in Louisiana. It says Avery Island on every bottle! Avery Island is actually a salt dome, something that's formed when salt intrudes into overlying rocks due to diapirism (when lighter materials force their way up through denser ones).

Syrup is harvested early in the spring so it gets darker as it gets warmer , not colder. Basically the trees send the sap up in anticipation for growing leaves and if it's too cold it comes back down, it's during this transit that it flows and is collected. It basically stops when it gets too warm as it just stays up in the branches to fuel leaf growth. How quickly that transition from freezing to leaf growing happens is what determines the length of the syrup season. Basically you got it all backwards...

I asked my wife if she was aware that Canada has a syrup reserve. Her response was of course she’s aware, then she asked if it had been robbed again. Don’t mess with our maple syrup.

The Féderation also provides quality assessment kits to producers. The kits include charts as well as vials with maple syrup samples of different grades, for visual and physical comparison. There are 5 grades, from Clair (clear) to Foncé (dark). My favourite is Ambré (amber) or grade 2.

Syrup season is almost festive, shaking off the long winter. Almost every Canadian school kid from Ontario east to the Atlantic has eaten syrup poured on snow and turned into taffy. Then there are hotdogs boiled in sap for a bush lunch, whiskey and sap when the sun goes down. Best time of year!

Ultimate Canadian dish, Kraft Dinner with Maple Syrup, cheese curds and piping hot gravy.

As a Canadian, all I can say about this is... sweet.

Top security: All barrels need a Robertson Screw Driver to open.

As a Canadian this seems utterly sensible. Syrup is sacred 😆

The Dune references are both hilarious and greatly appreciated 😂

Tabasco is from Avery Island in Louisiana. It says that right on the bottle.

Fun fact. You can make syrup from many trees, like walnut. The Sugar Maple is higher in sugar than other trees, requiring less sap

At 7:40 the call half a littre per person per year, I can confidently tell you thats this is a rookie number.

1:55 - Chapter 1 - Cornering the maple market 4:00 - Chapter 2 - The maple bunker 6:05 - Chapter 3 - The syrup must flow 9:05 - Chapter 4 - Great maple syrup heist

Nailed our French (passion for style) and British (need for carbohydrates) history. The oft unspoken foundation for internationally confusing Canadian politics.

Nothing more Canadian than the Great Maple Syrup Heist. It was the subject of an episode of the show Dirty Money, on Netflix (season 1, episode 5).

I proudly use at least 1/2 a liter of maple syrup a year lol. Not only for pancakes but in sauces, marinades or even homemade chili. :)

Maple Syrup, I put that stuff in everything. Aside from the usual use on pancakes it works in any kind of cooking. A shot of syrup in or on, stew, chili, bacon, pasta, salmon, some soups, ice cream, baking of course, BBQ, steamed vegetables, toast, chili pepper dishes, anything really. When using only a small amount in savoury dishes it does not contribute a Maple flavour but a earthy complexity that many people will not be able to identify. If you live somewhere that gets snow, you've got to try pouring some on snow and pick it up like you do spaghetti on a fork, then eat it like a popsicle. Don't do this where to Huskies go of course.

Shepherd, Michigan has a maple syrup festival every year where the town puts a tap in the tree(s) of the homeowners and then collects it. Fun weekend with vendors, etc.

cant think of anything more Canadian than a maple syrup mafia...

I love how most of the stock footage is of table syrup

The reason for all those stocks is simple: very bad years of production was bringing some maple syrup producers to bankruptcy and too good years brought prices too low to make money out of its hard work. Each year is a challenge and the first thing we ask to our friends who produce each year is if it is a good year or not. There is a very understandable need to have a "community body" that buys from the producers at regulated prices: first make sure some years of overproduction do not bring prices too much down and second, allow producers to recover from past year's production when the Federation releases these older stocks (there is a mechanism for that) when there are years with lower production than demand requests.

At 3:20 - as the weather gets "warmer", not colder. Sap is gathered in the spring which leads to summer... Canadian Maple Syrup Producer here!

Funny enough, I am a 60 year old Canadian. Ingrew up in western Canada and our family never had Maple Syrup. It was not until the age of 57 when I moved to Nova Scotia where I first tasted Maple Syrup. I only use syrup from Nova Scotia. Um, uh, flapjacks be a US term I believe. We have pancakes

I think we need a video that lists out all the ridiculous reserves around the world with estimates on how much they would be worth.

I loved the casual criminalist episode you did on this topic, it's always good to have a lighter-hearted one in amongst all the horror.

What a fascinating video! Simon covers everything as per usual. To any any non-Canadian viewers, I can assure you I drown my pancakes+bacon in our holy syrup...

The syrup heist story should be a movie!

Well crafted documentary I have to say, as a Quebecer. I can’t even fathom having crepes/pancakes with anything else than maple syrup (aka liquid gold in some neighborhoods). Kudos to Simon acing this one.

As someone who recently moved to Quebec I don't think I've ever consumed so much maple syrup in my life, it's definitely liquid gold.

The illegal maple syrup market was actually a sub plot in an episode of Elementary (S5E13) ostensibly centered around the smuggling of thousands of gallons of maple syrup into the US which resulted in the murder of a young man who was a security guard at the point of entry for the syrup. Actually a very good episode.

as a canadian, i can confirm this exists

To every American laughing right now... Like to talk about your cheese reserve?

Sure, it's good on pancakes, but try it on ham or bacon! I put it in my coffee too! So, we all know that sugar season starts when the winter days days begin to lengthen and warm: you need daytime temperatures above freezing, and nighttime temps below freezing to collect the sap, but when do you stop collecting it? When I inquired I was told ( with a big smile by everyone I asked ) that one stops tapping when the new maple leaves are as large as a mouse's ear.

I love seeing how elaborate these people's sugar huts are. I was in one up north that had a home bar in it.

Nasty table sirup is called "sirop de poteau" or telephone pole sirup. Maple is Grand!

I helped set up the lines and taps for maple syrup while I was on a farm in WV. It was awful work. Then after months we barely got any. 10,000 gallon tank was maybe a fifth full of sap.

The local slang for "table syrup" in Quebec is "syrop du poteau" .. roughly translated to "telephone pole syrup".

As a Quebecois who harvests maple syrup as a hobby and for personal use, I found this video both highly funny and entertaining.

The Casual Criminalist episode on the heist of this place was awesome!

As a good Canadian boy, I have made syrup with my brother in the last few years. Thanks for the interesting episode. Also, as good Canadians who have had plenty of maple syrup in our day, my son and I noticed that the liquid being poured on pancakes at the beginning of the episode was not maple syrup. It was too thick, and most likely a kind of fake syrup.

I think I suggested this video idea a while ago. That said, as a west coast Canadian I have to be very clear that although every Canadian does feel an affinity to maple syrup, on average they literally dont consume as much as Simon suggests, across the entire country. That average (500ml's per year) would include commercial and industrial food uses as well, which will bring the personal consumption number down significantly. Saying that maple syrup is inherent to the Canadian national identity, is like saying that Bangers and Mash is uniquely analogous to the British national identity.... it isnt, and neither is Canadian maple syrup. At most its a part of of it ... a small part.

I didn't even taste the stuff until later in life. Aunt jamima on pancakes and waffles my whole childhood. Once you try the real McCoy there's no going back. It' like a fine single malt scotch vs a bottle of jack.

other countries: we need strategic Oil reserves for our future. Canada : Tree juice Reserves true Canadian moment

One of my favorite episodes of ‘Mom’ was when the girls went across the border to buy black market maple syrup. Hilarious!

My grandparents came from Centre du Quebec Bois-Francs region. Sirop D'erable🍁 is a way of life.

Thanks for this very interesting info i never knew. As a Canadian I can confirm i eat maple syrup daily in our house we basically use maple syrup in place of sugar. For example in our coffee and I put it on my oatmeal every day I feel lost without it .

Those maple leaf cookies are badass. Taste just like maple syrup.

The Maple Syrup heist is my absolute favorite episode of Casual Criminalist! It really was refreshing after all that murder and I'm fairly certain Simon agrees with me!

Given how valuable it is economically this is still hilarious but slightly more serious. Props to Simon for not bursting out into laughter but stifling it in the most sarcastic script possible

A young man appears in the distance, wearing a flannel shirt. He is riding a moose. He has travelled far, but still has a long way to go before he reaches his destination. In one hand, he holds a bottle of maple syrup. In the other, a hockey stick. As he rides forth, his hockey stick accidentally brushes against a tree branch. “Sorry!” he whispers to the tree. “Sorry!” the tree replies. Pretty soon, he comes to a river. As he tries to figure out a way to cross it, a young beaver trots over and taps him on the leg, motioning for him to follow. The beaver leads him to a dam, which our young hero can cross on. He and his moose carefully cross the river, after thanking the beaver profusely. Soon, he comes across a man ice fishing. After exchanging pleasantries (in French), the man gives him a Molson to quench his thirst. He drinks the beer and continues on his way. He can see his destination now, just past the grove of maple trees. He begins to hum O Canada as he crosses the street and parks his moose. He has finally arrived at his glorious destination: Tim Horton’s.

There's a correlation between how cold winters are and how industrious the people who live there are. This applies outside of Canada too, but in Canada, at least when I was a kid, it was common to have family come together after the harvest season, and start planning for winter consumption. You learn how to preserve food, and store it for medium term utility. Sadly this is a skill being lost in our culture in the past couple of decades.

Maple Syrup is widely produced south of the boarder too.Northern NY and Vermont have many large and small producers, and production is not controlled. I'm sure there are many other places, but that is an area I'm familiar with. Talking to one producer he keep referring to "table" syrup as pole syrup. I had to ask what is pole syrup and was told that's the pancake or common syrup sold in stores. He wasn't sure where it came from but assumed it might be what one would get if he inadvertently taped a utility pole.

I can guarantee you I use more than 0.5l of maple syrup per year 😆

Also drizzle syrup on bacon... it's amazing

I remember eating a Mountie figure made from maple sugar when I was 5 years old, in 1960. To this day I cannot handle highly sweetened food. (We used to go to Canada a lot to fish, back in the day.)

as a born & raised Quebecker, I must say that this was very accurate & incredibly well researched

I was born in New Brunswick Ca, next door to Quebec, and we too have maple trees. Having maple syrup, maple butter, maple pastries, maple bacon etc so often and too often made me dislike the syrup and never too this day have partake of this liquid gold.

The Canadian maple syrup reserves. The most important place on Earth.

So between the USA and Canada, we will never have to worry about running short on grilled cheese and waffles. Good to know

Tabasco sauce is not made in Mexico. It's made in Louisiana. Avery Island, Louisiana.

Fun fact. The maple syrup reserve is one of the few industries authorized to have armed security in Canada. Putting in up there with Cash, Jewelery, and tobacco/alcohol.

When I started at my new job in Canada I was shocked to find that the communal kitchen was stocked with table syrup. I almost called the RCMP as I was pretty certain this was a crime - but I didn’t want to be that co-worker. 😂

I like this series within a series about bizarre cultural caches. I hope to see more.

"Hey, that's some nice pancakes ya got there. Sure would be a shame if some inferior syrup got all over em..." -Canadian Maple Syrup Mafia

Living in Ontario in the Maple Capital of Ontario, I, of course, have my local suppliers. We have a big Maple syrup festival every spring in Perth, Ontario!

There is a book called 'Live Free or Die' which has as a major plot point that maple syrup become a strategic commodity and an interstellar war is fought over it.

Authentic maple syrup is a world away from imitation. If you haven't once, it will be almost impossible to ever go back. Kind of like another famous saying I've heard of before......

"He cares not from whence the syrup flows, only that it flows." -Khorne or something

As anybody who's watched the single best episode of The Casual Criminalist knows, the "Federation's" proper name is the Grand Council of Maple Whisperers. For people who can't afford genuine Vermont maple syrup, Quebec's alternative is almost as good, so I'm glad the maple leaf syndicate ensures a steady supply. If you want to go totally overboard with decadence, try maple syrup that's been aged in bourbon barrels. OMFG. It's the Jamaican Blue Mountain of sweeteners. BTW in addition to telling the tale of the single biggest heist in Canadian history - of anything - that Casual Criminalist episode lavishes you with a dollop of sweet, mouth-wateringly luscious B-roll.

Thanks you for talking about this! Quebec maple syrup is somehow a highly controlled ressource.

I live in Southern Ontario, each region of the province prides itself on producing its own quality syrup (even some of the cities). Another thing that does happen is 'Rogue Loggers' coming in and chopping down all the trees - including the maple trees - in a tree lot. The best sap producing maple trees are usually in Old Growth forests, which also just happen to have the biggest trees; seen as ripe for 'harvesting'.

Simons: Anyone with plans to tap their usual 200 000 barrels of precious maple syrup would be met with the most Canadian of welcome. Germany when hearing that: WW1 and WW2 flashback

Maple syrup can also be substituted for simple syrup in alcoholic drinks - like in mohitoes. Adds a very Canadian twist.

REAL TABASCO Sauce has been made by the McIlhenny family for over 150 years on Avery Island, Louisiana...

The best things is that most people have never had maple syrup. They've had maple flavored syrup. Which is corn and artificial flavors.

I thank you Simon, for I knew nothing of this place but an hour's drive from my home. As well as for this getting a prestige place among your 71 youtube channels. I'm sure though this could have been just as much fun on Top Tenz or Side Projects... Thanks for keeping us better informed about literally everything 👍

Great video I've been waiting for this one! As stated before any and all other reserve videos would be awesome have a great day !

Lots of Americans I know think maple syrup is cheat in Canada, but it depends where you are. Since it's extracted and produced in Quebec, which is in eastern Canada, any of the provinces in western Canada (such as Alberta or British Columbia) have to pay a steep price for maple syrup. I have to imagine it's somewhat similar in the US when it comes to states that are further away from Vermont.

Since you don't know where Tabasco sauce comes from, you have to do a Megaprojects presentation on it and present it to the class.

It is a huge difference between fake and real maple syrup. Ones is basically thick sugar goo and the real stuff is much lighter with actual flavor and not just sugar.

Thank Simon for another greatly information video!

"Half a litre per person per year" 🤣 Our house of 4 people goes through 1 litre if not every week, then every 2 weeks.